Archive for the ‘Patient Information’ Category

INTRODUCTION An important question that we get asked at the Minnesota Epilepsy Group is: “Do I still have epilepsy?” The question is pertinent in several clinical situations. For example, if a child “outgrows” their epilepsy, does that mean that their epilepsy is in remission? What about a 48 year-old man who had two seizures during…

Marijuana has been used for the treatment of medical conditions for over 4000 years. The medical use of marijuana is currently a hotly debated topic. There are some anecdotal reports of patients using marijuana to treat seizures. The popular media has recently run stories about patients using marijuana for their epilepsy. Some patients describe that marijuana improves…

Did you know that patients with epilepsy have a higher incidence of migraine headaches (and vice-versa!)? Patients are usually referred to our clinic for evaluation of their seizures. I will routinely ask patients about their headaches. If the patient has problematic headaches, treatment of the headaches may dramatically improve their quality of life. It is…

INTRODUCTION A common question that we receive in clinic relates to the chance that a parent will “pass on” their epilepsy to their children. Also, if one child has epilepsy, will their brother or sister develop epilepsy? These are important questions. The answer is, of course, complicated. The answers to such questions must be tailored…

I would like to direct our readers towards an interesting study. This study did very long-term follow-up on children who had surgery to control they’re seizures (Skirrow, Neurology, 2011). They looked at: seizure control intellectual function (measured by neuropsychological testing before and after surgery) The study found that epilepsy surgery improved seizure control dramatically and many…

Approximately 30% of patients with epilepsy continue to have seizures despite trying several antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). This 30% of patients is considered to have intractable epilepsy. Some of these patients can have surgery for their seizures- this is where a surgeon removes a piece of brain tissue to remove the seizure focus. This type of…

The brand vs generic issue is a hot-topic in the epilepsy community. Patients with epilepsy may take generic antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) as a way to avoid the potentially high cost of brand AEDs. For some patients, paying for brand AEDs is not a realistic option—the cost can be several hundred dollars per month (or higher!)….

ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS The North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry recently reported its important new findings (Hernandez-Diaz, 2012). The report compares the frequency of major malformations in the developing fetus in women taking an antiepileptic drug (AED) during their pregnancy. New and older AEDs are analyzed. Major malformations are serious medical problems that the fetus can…

ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS Catamenial epilepsy is a condition in which seizures increase around the time of a woman’s period. The change in seizure frequency noted around the time of the period appears to be due to hormonal changes. Estrogen tends to increase seizure activity Progesterone tends to reduce seizure activity. As women go through the changes…

ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) can be defined as: 1) a patient with epilepsy unexpectedly dies; 2) no cause of death is identified at autopsy. Early death rates are higher in patients with epilepsy compared to the general population. Most early deaths in patients with epilepsy are due to the underlying disorder,…